Explore legacies of Roman Empire art and architecture via examples of mosaics, reliefs, and statues. See what concrete meant for enduring architecture.
Updated: 04/05/2022
Roman Empire Legacies Art & Architecture
Ancient Roman Art and Architecture
The Roman Empire was one of the largest and most influential empires in human history. Together with ancient Greece, from which the Romans borrowed many aspects of their culture, the Roman Empire laid down the foundation for Western Civilization.
Almost every aspect of modern life in the West was in some way influenced by the Romans. For instance, the alphabet used to write the English language was a Roman invention, and ancient Roman art and architecture continue to serve as models for elegance, style and grandeur.
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Greco-Roman Art and Architecture
As mentioned above, the ancient Greeks exerted an extraordinary influence on the Romans, most especially in their religion, literature, mythology, art, and architecture. This is why Roman art and architecture is usually grouped into a larger era known as the Classical or Greco-Roman period. Much of what we associate with Roman architecture, including columns, geometric proportions, etc., was first employed by the ancient Greeks. However, there were some important artistic and architectural developments that were truly Roman inventions.
Roman Legacies
The Roman Empire was full of some pretty incredible people who changed the world of art and architecture. The innovative techniques and styles of the Romans set standards for beauty, style, and function that we still respect today.
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Ancient Roman Art
Roman art and architecture was created using many different mediums. The sections below will highlight a few of the most important.
Sculptures
The ancient Greeks developed the technology and artistic techniques needed to create life-like sculptures; however, the Romans used these techniques to create countless three dimensional likenesses of important figures in Roman history. The depiction of the emperor in marble busts and statues was an important feature of Roman political culture. Copies of likenesses of the many emperors who ruled Rome have been unearthed all over the Mediterranean region. The Romans shipped statues of their emperors to all corners of their empire so that ordinary citizens would know what their rulers looked like. In other words, the Romans used sculpture as a means of propaganda.
Most Roman sculptures were made from either marble or bronze. Marble is a type of metamorphic stone that was commonly used by the Greeks and Romans for both sculpture and architecture. Bronze is a metal alloy that has long been used for tools, sculptures, and various other purposes. The most splendid example of Roman bronze work is the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. This giant 13.9 ft tall image of one of Rome's most famous emperors survived the centuries after Rome's collapse. It can currently be seen in the Capitoline Museum in Rome.
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Paintings
There are relatively few Roman paintings that have survived. However, some of the most important can be seen in the ruins of Pompeii. Pompeii was a Roman city near Naples that was destroyed by a Volcanic eruption in 79 AD. The ash preserved the city and is a treasure trove of Roman art.
Many of the paintings that have been found in Pompeii include scenes from Greek and Roman mythology. Others include scenes from everyday life, including foods, sexual acts, and more. These paintings provide valuable insight into Roman culture. It also shows us that the painting techniques of the Romans were more advanced than those that existed during the Middle Ages. It was only during the Renaissance that life-like images in the medium of painting would once again be created.
The Golden Ratio was common in Greek and Roman art. It is a mathematical formula that was believed to produce beautiful symmetry in both nature and in works of art. The Golden Ratio is equal to approximately 1.6180.
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Mosaics
A mosaic is an image made by placing together a number of small tiles. Mosaics were widely-used by the Romans to depict all types of images. Again, the city of Pompeii contains some of the most important Roman mosaics ever found. One of these is an image of a chained dog.
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Reliefs
Reliefs were another common form of Roman art. A relief is a sculpture where the background is carved more deeply than the figure jutting out from the background. This feature gives the image a more three-dimensional appearance. The Romans often used reliefs to depict important historical events. In fact, historians often study reliefs in order to understand important events from Roman history or to study Roman religion.
The Ara Pacis Augustae is the largest and best-preserved monument that depicts Roman reliefs. It was dedicated to the god Pax, who was the personification of peace. It was completed in the year 9 BC during the reign of the first emperor of Rome, Augustus. It was meant to symbolize the peace that he brought after many years of civil war within Rome.
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Ancient Roman Architecture
Marble was not the only building material used by the Romans. A major Roman innovation in the history of architecture was the invention of concrete by the early Romans. Concrete is a building material that is made by adding a binding material to tiny pebbles, such as those found in volcanic ash. Concrete is still widely used in buildings all over the world. It has the advantage of being much lighter than stone, which allowed the Romans to build large and complex buildings, including giant domes. Domes covered wide spaces which allowed for larger interiors.
The Romans not only used architecture as a means of creating public buildings, but as a means of propaganda as well. The grandeur of buildings reflected the grandeur of Rome itself.
Here is a list of some of the greatest feats of Roman architecture:
- Pantheon - The Pantheon is a temple to all the gods worshiped by the ancient Romans. Its enormous concrete dome is one of the wonders of Roman architecture and engineering. The building was commissioned by the emperor Hadrian and completed in 125 AD.
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- Colosseum - The Colosseum is a large amphitheater in Rome where numerous different sporting events, including gladiatorial fights, were staged. This building was finished around the year 80 AD, during the reign of Titus. It inspired the creation of modern sporting arenas.
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- Pont du Gard - The Pont Du Gard in France is one of the most famous Roman aqueducts still standing. An aqueduct is a large structure used to bring water into a city. The Romans perfected the technology used to create large and elaborate aqueducts all over their empire.
- Arch of Titus - An arch is a type of curved entrance or exit. Large, monumental arches are indicative of Roman architecture. The Arch of Titus, for example, was erected in 81 AD during the reign of Domitian in order to commemorate the quelling of a Jewish revolt in the province of Judea. Monumental architecture of this sort was erected as a type of trophy to recognize Roman military victories. They were, therefore, used for propaganda purposes.
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Legacy of the Roman Empire
The legacy of the Roman Empire can still be seen in many areas of the globe. Roman models of art and architecture have been extensively used in government and other public buildings throughout the world for millennia. In Washington, DC, for example, the White House, Capitol Building, and Lincoln Memorial are all modeled after Roman style architecture.
There are several reasons why Roman art continues to be used. One is that large numbers of people find Roman aesthetics to still be pleasing to the eye. Another is that ancient Rome symbolizes power and grandeur in the minds of those familiar with the history of one of the world's most influential empires.
Lesson Summary
Roman art and architecture employed marble, bronze, concrete, and a number of other building materials. Concrete was a Roman invention. It was light and strong and allowed Romans to build more elaborate buildings than had ever been made before. Domes that were made using concrete were allowed for more spacious interiors.
Roman art made use of paint, sculpture, mosaics, arches, and reliefs. This last medium made use of a background that was set further back than figures that jutted out from the backgrounds. This gave reliefs a more three-dimensional appearance. Roman art and architecture continues to be used to this day. One example of a modern monument built according to the Roman style is the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.
Legacies of Roman Art
Art was a very important part of Roman lives. They decorated their homes, their businesses, and their temples in paintings and large murals made of tiny pieces of stone called mosaics. The Roman art that had the most long-lasting legacy, however, was sculpture. Roman statues were either carved from marble or cast in bronze. Marble was expensive and required real skill to carve, so it indicated social status. Bronze was even more expensive, so it was even more prestigious.
Roman sculpture was very heavily influenced by ancient Greece and was very realistic, meaning it tried to look as true to life as possible. Most temples and important government buildings were covered in reliefs, panels of marble with the backgrounds carved deeply so that the figures stand out in almost 3-dimensions. A series of these panels together told stories and depicted scenes from Roman history or mythology. Roman-style reliefs were very influential throughout Christian history, and reliefs with scenes from the Bible decorate many of the most important and influential cathedrals in the world.
Romans, like the Greeks, studied ideal ratios of the human body based on the golden ratio, a geometric formula for a ratio of 1:1.618. This ratio became the basis for the ideal standard of beauty, which is still used today. Several forms of Roman sculpture had lasting legacies in art. Christian sculptures throughout European history depicted Biblical scenes and people in Roman styles with realistic figures who were modeled in geometric proportions. Even today in the United States, most of our sculptures of presidents, such as the giant statue of Lincoln in Washington D.C., are based on Roman sculpture.
Also, the Romans often made statues in bronze or marble of important generals or leaders on horseback, called an equestrian statue. Equestrian statues were commissioned by generals, emperors, and dictators throughout history who wanted to compare themselves to the powerful Roman Empire.
Legacies of Roman Architecture
If you think Roman art had a lasting legacy, Roman architecture will blow you away. The Romans were some of the greatest architectural innovators and engineers in history. They developed styles and techniques that changed the world. The basis of this profound impact was the arch. Think about all of the arches we see in our world, from bridges to the golden arches over McDonald's. Before the Romans, nobody really knew how to use the arch as an architectural feature. They are difficult to construct properly because the arch naturally pushes outwards, so it had to be dug into earth or into a very wide wall for support.
The Romans figured out how to use the arch for more than irrigation ditches and used it to build enormous buildings. When used correctly, arches disperse the weight of the ceiling and allow for wider interior spaces. By building two arches that intersected at a perpendicular angle, the Romans invented something even more useful: the dome. A dome roof covers wide spaces while remaining structurally strong.
With the use of the arch and the dome, the Romans were able to create huge buildings that served as temples, meeting places, markets, or courts of law. For the first time, these buildings had lots of natural lighting with windows and high, domed ceilings, and could even be multiple stories tall. Around the first century AD, the Romans built a huge building called the 'Pantheon,' a temple to all of the gods, with a 142-foot tall domed roof. Almost 2,000 years later, this is still the largest pure concrete dome in the entire world.
The Romans used the arch and the dome to make huge structures, like the Colosseum. Several styles of Roman buildings are still used today. For example, the basilica was a long Roman building with an elevated platform at each end for judges or for statues. Today, a basilica is a type of Catholic church that is in the same form, except that the platform on the end holds a priest instead of a judge. The early Christians met in basilicas because they were public spaces, and the style of building stuck with them.
Roman engineers used the arch for other projects, as well. Roman aqueducts, long pipes that brought fresh water into the cities, were supported on rows of arches and columns that stretched for hundreds of miles. Without arches to make the support structure strong, but lightweight, this could not have been achieved.
Besides the arch, Romans invented one more thing that made their hundreds of building projects possible: concrete. Today, we take concrete for granted because we use it everywhere. But why do we use it? It's relatively light, it's cheap, and you can pour it into any shape you need. Imagine what this invention would mean to ancient people who only had wood, bricks, or stone as building materials. For example, that huge dome on the Pantheon was made of small concrete squares that were poured individually and then set together. Roman concrete changed what was possible in architecture. Now that's a long-lasting legacy.
Lesson Summary
The Roman Empire stretched for over a million square miles and was full of art and buildings on a scale that nobody else had been able to achieve until that point. The art and architectural styles and techniques they developed changed what was possible and set standards of form and function that we still respect today.
Things like bronze equestrian statues and marble sculptures can be found all over the world. Roman reliefs, sculptures carved so that the figures stand out from the background, became highly demanded. With influential contributions, like the arch, the dome, and concrete, it suddenly was possible to make gigantic buildings that still had lots of open interior space.
After the Romans mastered their styles of art and architecture, everybody wanted to copy them. There's a reason our national capital is full of marble statues, like the Lincoln Memorial, and Roman columns with arches. There's a reason we use concrete so often as a building material. The Romans showed the world how.
Learning Outcomes
Solid knowledge of this lesson's information could help you to:
- List some of the Roman art forms and innovations that are still valued today
- Explain the role of the golden ratio, and note the use of marble, mosaics and bronze in Roman art
- Discuss the importance of the arch in Roman architecture
- Recall some of the most important contributions Rome made to architecture
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Video Transcript
Roman Legacies
The Roman Empire was full of some pretty incredible people who changed the world of art and architecture. The innovative techniques and styles of the Romans set standards for beauty, style, and function that we still respect today.
Legacies of Roman Art
Art was a very important part of Roman lives. They decorated their homes, their businesses, and their temples in paintings and large murals made of tiny pieces of stone called mosaics. The Roman art that had the most long-lasting legacy, however, was sculpture. Roman statues were either carved from marble or cast in bronze. Marble was expensive and required real skill to carve, so it indicated social status. Bronze was even more expensive, so it was even more prestigious.
Roman sculpture was very heavily influenced by ancient Greece and was very realistic, meaning it tried to look as true to life as possible. Most temples and important government buildings were covered in reliefs, panels of marble with the backgrounds carved deeply so that the figures stand out in almost 3-dimensions. A series of these panels together told stories and depicted scenes from Roman history or mythology. Roman-style reliefs were very influential throughout Christian history, and reliefs with scenes from the Bible decorate many of the most important and influential cathedrals in the world.
Romans, like the Greeks, studied ideal ratios of the human body based on the golden ratio, a geometric formula for a ratio of 1:1.618. This ratio became the basis for the ideal standard of beauty, which is still used today. Several forms of Roman sculpture had lasting legacies in art. Christian sculptures throughout European history depicted Biblical scenes and people in Roman styles with realistic figures who were modeled in geometric proportions. Even today in the United States, most of our sculptures of presidents, such as the giant statue of Lincoln in Washington D.C., are based on Roman sculpture.
Also, the Romans often made statues in bronze or marble of important generals or leaders on horseback, called an equestrian statue. Equestrian statues were commissioned by generals, emperors, and dictators throughout history who wanted to compare themselves to the powerful Roman Empire.
Legacies of Roman Architecture
If you think Roman art had a lasting legacy, Roman architecture will blow you away. The Romans were some of the greatest architectural innovators and engineers in history. They developed styles and techniques that changed the world. The basis of this profound impact was the arch. Think about all of the arches we see in our world, from bridges to the golden arches over McDonald's. Before the Romans, nobody really knew how to use the arch as an architectural feature. They are difficult to construct properly because the arch naturally pushes outwards, so it had to be dug into earth or into a very wide wall for support.
The Romans figured out how to use the arch for more than irrigation ditches and used it to build enormous buildings. When used correctly, arches disperse the weight of the ceiling and allow for wider interior spaces. By building two arches that intersected at a perpendicular angle, the Romans invented something even more useful: the dome. A dome roof covers wide spaces while remaining structurally strong.
With the use of the arch and the dome, the Romans were able to create huge buildings that served as temples, meeting places, markets, or courts of law. For the first time, these buildings had lots of natural lighting with windows and high, domed ceilings, and could even be multiple stories tall. Around the first century AD, the Romans built a huge building called the 'Pantheon,' a temple to all of the gods, with a 142-foot tall domed roof. Almost 2,000 years later, this is still the largest pure concrete dome in the entire world.
The Romans used the arch and the dome to make huge structures, like the Colosseum. Several styles of Roman buildings are still used today. For example, the basilica was a long Roman building with an elevated platform at each end for judges or for statues. Today, a basilica is a type of Catholic church that is in the same form, except that the platform on the end holds a priest instead of a judge. The early Christians met in basilicas because they were public spaces, and the style of building stuck with them.
Roman engineers used the arch for other projects, as well. Roman aqueducts, long pipes that brought fresh water into the cities, were supported on rows of arches and columns that stretched for hundreds of miles. Without arches to make the support structure strong, but lightweight, this could not have been achieved.
Besides the arch, Romans invented one more thing that made their hundreds of building projects possible: concrete. Today, we take concrete for granted because we use it everywhere. But why do we use it? It's relatively light, it's cheap, and you can pour it into any shape you need. Imagine what this invention would mean to ancient people who only had wood, bricks, or stone as building materials. For example, that huge dome on the Pantheon was made of small concrete squares that were poured individually and then set together. Roman concrete changed what was possible in architecture. Now that's a long-lasting legacy.
Lesson Summary
The Roman Empire stretched for over a million square miles and was full of art and buildings on a scale that nobody else had been able to achieve until that point. The art and architectural styles and techniques they developed changed what was possible and set standards of form and function that we still respect today.
Things like bronze equestrian statues and marble sculptures can be found all over the world. Roman reliefs, sculptures carved so that the figures stand out from the background, became highly demanded. With influential contributions, like the arch, the dome, and concrete, it suddenly was possible to make gigantic buildings that still had lots of open interior space.
After the Romans mastered their styles of art and architecture, everybody wanted to copy them. There's a reason our national capital is full of marble statues, like the Lincoln Memorial, and Roman columns with arches. There's a reason we use concrete so often as a building material. The Romans showed the world how.
Learning Outcomes
Solid knowledge of this lesson's information could help you to:
- List some of the Roman art forms and innovations that are still valued today
- Explain the role of the golden ratio, and note the use of marble, mosaics and bronze in Roman art
- Discuss the importance of the arch in Roman architecture
- Recall some of the most important contributions Rome made to architecture
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some legacies of Roman Empire architecture?
One of the main legacies is the use of large domes to create spacious interiors. Another is the fact that many people still use Roman architectural styles to construct new buildings.
What are the characteristics of art of the Roman Empire?
One of the main characteristics of art during the Roman Empire was the use of the Golden Ratio. Another was the use of marble and concrete.
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